Top 5 BMW M Cars of SoCal Vintage BMW Meet 2013

A handful of the best M offerings from a Los Angeles meet

Saturday, October 19th brought a park full of Vintage BMWs together for the SoCal Vintage BMW Meet
2013. Anything from a rare 3.0 CS to the loved 2002 lined Woodley Park in wonderful Vintage charm. Past
ogling over the cars displayed there was also a 'best of' competition with various categories - you will
see some of the winners below. Whatever your preference there was something for everyone and it was
a great way to spend a sunny Southern California Saturday.

We brought you general show coverage from the Los Angeles, CA car show as well as a top list of the
best 2002s from the show. While there we also found several wonderful examples of the highest
performance offerings from the Bavarian Automaker. M signifies incredible performance and the top
tier of the BMW lineup. Below we have found five favorites from the vintage meet to share with you.
Some flawless, others daily drivers. Whatever the use, we found this collection to be impressive. Let us
know which is your favorite in the comment section below.

...I had a Lexus before and they're a responsible car but kind of a boring to drive. It's not like a BMW.

This car not only won 'People's choice for Best 6 & 7 Series' but won us over as well. In a bright red
paint, the car is mostly all original expect for a chip installed, cam sprockets, BBS wheels, and a short
throw shifter. The front seats have also been redone and the hood repainted. Only owning the car for
about a year, Rick, the owner, mentioned that the previous owner had the car for 19 years and took very
good care of it. "Everything that goes wrong with these cars was done. And I was fortunate enough to
find this," said Rick - the previous owner had even gone through the seals, driveshaft and transmission
also installing a new clutch.

"I had a 635 years ago and I miss that car. I kick myself for selling it so I decided to start looking again
and I looked at several before I bought this one," Rick mentioned. This being his fifth BMW, he obviously
has a love for the Bavarian Motor Company. "It's much more fun to drive. I have to say, I had a Lexus
before and they're a responsible car but kind of a boring to drive. It's not like a BMW." But unlike some
others on the list, "It's a Sunday car and never sees a parking lot."

Someone offered me $75000 and I told them no. To me it is worth way more.

As soon as this bright white beauty drove in we were in love. More aggressive looking than your average
'89 M3, the owner says this car was imported from Europe and found by a friend of his father. The fact
that this car was imported makes it more rare than others and its stance looks track ready. "I've tracked
it once, when I was 15, but I'll never track it again. I have other track cars that I take out," says Alec the
owner.

Alec has done a little work to it including minor engine modifications including exhaust, a lot of
suspension work, a larger lip to accommodate bigger wheels and more. "This car is like an icon, it's an
amazing car. Someone offered me $75000 and I told them no. To me it is worth way more."

It's a labor of love, a lot of money and it's a great car. It's a really fun car to drive...

The owner of this car was harder to track down than the rest, but after asking the right people we found
him. Jeff, the owner, purchased the car about five years ago out of Portland, Oregon. The motor is
where most of the modifications take place. A 3.96 stroker motor transplanted from a previous M5, the
bottom end has been recently refreshed. It includes JE pistons, custom exhaust, upgraded cams, and a
lot of work went into the head. With 108000 original miles, there is much life left.

"It's a labor of love, a lot of money and it's a great car. It's a really fun car to drive; that's the best thing
about it," Jeff commented. He has taken the car to Monterey for the Car Week for the past three years
and has won best M5 for the past two. "I've probably retired from car show circuit. Now my goal is to
just drive it and enjoy it." While the car is perfect and just calls to be shown, Jeff seems satisfied with the
recognition and trophies he's accumulated. "I had a vision in mind, and this is exactly it."

I enjoy driving it, it's a blast. I've had to do some work to it, but it's a work in progress.

This Arctic Blue M535i was a grey market import from Germany. Imported about a month or two after
production, the owner says it was always meant to be a US car. After coming to California in the early
'90s, the owner Vincent said all the work was done once it arrived. A full suspension upgrade, 5-speed
conversion, repainted (same color but fresh paint), while the interior is still all original.

Purchased in 2010, Vincent has been enjoying his car ever since. With 188000 original miles on tap, we
can only imagine how much fun it is to drive. "I enjoy driving it, it's a blast. I've had to do some work to
it, but it's a work in progress."

It's a joy to drive. It pulls through the gears and puts a smile on your face.

What attracted us to this M5 was that the entire family came out to enjoy the show. We caught the
owner just as he and his family were heading back home. Acquiring the car in 2011, Ricky, the owner,
commented, "I always wanted one since high school. I wanted a 2002 back then and then the M5 came
out and I said, one of these days I'm going to have an M5." Major modifications include upgraded cams
and a chip for the ECU.

Ricky uses the car as a daily driver while also owning several other fun Bavarian toys: '88 535is, '87
325is, a few 7-Series and a 325. When speaking about how it drives, Ricky said, "It's a joy to drive. It
pulls through the gears and puts a smile on your face." It's obvious how much this car is loved and Ricky
even added, "It's a dream car and I finally got it."

We hope you enjoyed this list of top M cars from the SoCal Vintage BMW Meet 2013. If this list or the
others we have shared inspire you to own a vintage car the only advice we have for you is: prepare for a
lot of work, time and best of all the love of your automobile. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the
show and cannot wait for next year.